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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · pit · bound · land · pass · track · season · squash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — a path
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com